Captain Nuhu Musa, the director general of the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority, has been prohibited by a Federal High Court in Lagos from granting an air operator’s certificate to Nigeria Air, the proposed national carrier.
This development occurred after the proposed national airline obtained an air transport license from the NCAA and the Ministry of Aviation intensified its plans to launch a national carrier.
A few domestic airlines are suing the federal government to prevent it from working with Ethiopian Airlines to launch a national airline.
According to the most recent court order, no action can be taken in connection with the Nigeria Air project until further notice. Domestic carriers were the ones who got the order.
In accordance with the terms of the order, Justice Lewis Allagoa issued interim and interlocutory injunction orders preventing the relevant parties from moving forward with the Nigeria Air project.
“You are therefore instructed to refrain from dealing with the Ministry of Aviation and their agents or representatives, associated with the Air Operator Certificate, the subject of the suit, to avoid consequences of disobeying court orders,” the letter from the plaintiff’s attorney Abubakar Nuhu Ahmed (of Nureini Jimoh Chambers) dated April 19, 2023, to the NCAA.
It also stated, “As a law-abiding regulatory agency, you are under the attentive scrutiny of the world. It is in your interest to refrain from taking additional steps on the AOC process that will jeopardize the Agency’s honor in front of the local media and the world’s aviation community.”
Despite the controversies and legal dispute, the Federal Government had announced in March via the Ministry of Aviation that Nigeria Air would start domestic and international flights soon.
The National Aviation Stakeholders Forum 2023 in Abuja featured a revelation from the aviation minister, Hadi Sirika.
Hardi declared “Negotiations are still ongoing with the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Ethiopian Airlines Group Consortium. Local and international flight operations will soon begin. We will fly before this administration ends on May 29,”.
The minister continued by saying that by establishing the national carrier, Nigeria would be able to reduce capital flight from the country, maximize the benefits of BASA and SAATM, and create an aviation hub.
Additionally, the national carrier will boost the GDP, promote hospitality and tourism, support the expansion and improvement of the Nigerian agricultural sector, and generate jobs near the agro-cargo terminals.
